For those who want to have their copy of Lion saved on a physical medium, Apple will make the Mac OS X upgrade available on a USB thumb drive through its online store in August, but at a cost more than twice the price of the Mac App Store.

Apple revealed on Wednesday that Lion will be available on a USB thumb drive through its online store "later this August." It will carry a price of $69, or more than twice the $29.99 cost of downloading Lion from the Mac App Store.

For users who do not have broadband access at home, work or school, Apple is also offering customers the ability to download the multi-gigabyte install at its retail stores immediately.

AppleInsider was first to report in May that Apple planned to release Lion through the Mac App Store, but also that Apple would offer a physical copy of the operating system for those who would prefer to have one. And in June, an exclusive report suggested lower pricing for Lion could be tied to purchasing through the Mac App Store.

For those who opt to download Lion, it carries the same aggressive price strategy that Apple chose for Snow Leopard. The low $29 price for upgrades proved to have great success, doubling Apple's previous records.

Those who opt to buy a new Mac won't need to worry about downloading Lion from the Mac App Store, as all new computers sold by Apple will come preinstalled with the next-generation operating system. That includes already released devices, like the latest MacBook Pro and iMac, as well as Wednesday's newly released hardware: MacBook Airs and Mac minis.

Makes total sense, a shame that Apple decided to release this in August. Either thorugh deliberate planning or ineptitude on their part.

Considering that they have to buy the drives, install the data, package them and then ship them to the Apple Store I think the pricing is fair, certainly far cheaper than Windows.

Considering that I recently bought a high quality and fast 8GB USb drive to do this very thing for $15, I do think the cost is a bit high. I'm sure Apple would get the same drive for less than half of what I paid, and a slower drive for a quarter as much. I don't as yet even know if 8GB is overkill. If a 4GB drive is enough, it could cost them a couple of bucks, as 4GB drives are given away at the MicroCenters for gifts.

It's only a matter of hours before you see it sold on ebay for a lot cheaper.

Anyone know how the licensing works? i.e. can I use the same copy and install it on everyone's machine as long as I've gone through the purchase process on the MAS? Or is there a key of sorts directly on the image? I'm not looking to snag a free copy, only looking to save my bandwidth. Torrents and online activations can make things a lot faster.. Just saying.

It's only a matter of hours before you see it sold on ebay for a lot cheaper.

Anyone know how the licensing works? i.e. can I use the same copy and install it on everyone's machine as long as I've gone through the purchase process on the MAS? Or is there a key of sorts directly on the image? I'm not looking to snag a free copy, only looking to save my bandwidth. Torrents and online activations can make things a lot faster.. Just saying.

Torrents won't save you bandwidth. Just buy it and let it download overnight, then make your backup copy. Why spend effort trying to find a Torrent where who knows if it has been laced with malware, etc.

I'm thrilled Apple is offering Lion on a thumb drive. I have Leopard on my iMac and was concerned that I would have to install Snow Leopard, then install Lion. This way I only have one installation to perform and have Lion on a thumbdrive as a backup. I think the price is reasonable.

Makes total sense, a shame that Apple decided to release this in August. Either thorugh deliberate planning or ineptitude on their part.

The GM build was only qualified in the past few days, not weeks. August is only a couple of weeks away. I'd rather they not hold up the release for everyone just to have the USB key available on launch day.

I don't as yet even know if 8GB is overkill. If a 4GB drive is enough, it could cost them a couple of bucks, as 4GB drives are given away at the MicroCenters for gifts.

As previously noted it does I stall onto 4GB partition.

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Originally Posted by NeilM

Aggravation charge. Apple doesn't really want to do this, but realizes that it needs to for some customers.

That's how I see the $40 charge.

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Originally Posted by elmsley

It's only a matter of hours before you see it sold on ebay for a lot cheaper.

Anyone know how the licensing works? i.e. can I use the same copy and install it on everyone's machine as long as I've gone through the purchase process on the MAS? Or is there a key of sorts directly on the image? I'm not looking to snag a free copy, only looking to save my bandwidth. Torrents and online activations can make things a lot faster.. Just saying.

No key and as noted it's simple to create a bootable installer of Lion from the download.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"

I was suggesting they do this, and at a higher price. But I thought $49 would be more appropriate. This is unexpectedly high.

$69 covers the $29 for Lion, the $29 for Snow Leopard and $9 for the actual drive.

This is intended more for those that never updated to Snow Leopard and would be screwed cause Apple's SOP is to yank the old OS disks when the new one is out (just like they do with older application software). So by August (which is really just in two weeks) they will have sold out of all the SL that is around if it's not gone already.

Since the intended audience never bought Snow Leopard they want that licensing money.

It's only a matter of hours before you see it sold on ebay for a lot cheaper.

Anyone know how the licensing works? i.e. can I use the same copy and install it on everyone's machine as long as I've gone through the purchase process on the MAS? Or is there a key of sorts directly on the image? I'm not looking to snag a free copy, only looking to save my bandwidth. Torrents and online activations can make things a lot faster.. Just saying.

Actually, it does sound like you're trying to snag a free copy-- explain to me how downloading via torrent saves bandwidth over the App Store?

And, I've just downloaded it, the download completely saturated my broadband to the point where I had trouble surfing on my other computer. So there's no way a torrent would be any faster.

Actually, it does sound like you're trying to snag a free copy-- explain to me how downloading via torrent saves bandwidth over the App Store?

And, I've just downloaded it, the download completely saturated my broadband to the point where I had trouble surfing on my other computer. So there's no way a torrent would be any faster.

Apple keeps track of purchases, so I can buy it through their online store, but just not download at that time. Then Apple can provide the torrent file and download would come from apple and/or peers, alleviating the connection directly to Apple. Anyone who doesn't understand this lives in California and gets their broadband with negligible waiting times. The rest of us, possibly on dial-up have issues. Apple is pushing digital downloads, and I'm all for that, including purchasing and tracking, but if they own content but not delivery, they can't ensure QoS.

Torrents won't save you bandwidth. Just buy it and let it download overnight, then make your backup copy. Why spend effort trying to find a Torrent where who knows if it has been laced with malware, etc.

Actually I might just have to opt to go to the store. My d/l limits might explode and I might be forced to be charged insurance rates.

A few people were whining and moaning about Lion being download only, well, here you go, now you can quit whining and moaning. And if anybody whines about the price, then go get a job, don't be a bum. $69 is not too much for an Apple branded USB stick with an OS on it! As for me, I'll be downloading the $29 version. I can make my own USB stick, if I need one.

For users who do not have broadband access at home, work or school, Apple is also offering customers the ability to download the multi-gigabyte install at its retail stores immediately.

What planet is Cupertino on? Many of those who don't have broadband, probably also live quite a few miles away from any Apple store. They'll have to pack that 24" iMac into the family car, drive some two hours or more on a day they're rather be doing something else, do the download, and then drive back. All for the lack of a DVD version that'd cost perhaps 25 cents to stamp out.

This policy is a classic illustration of a corporate-executive-level screw up. A few at the very top of Apple got the hots for the this dumber-than-dumb idea, and no normal Apple staffer could bring them back to reality.

I'm downloading Lion to my MacBook right now. It's been going for about 45 minutes on my fairly fast cable broadband connection, and I don't have any idea how much longer it will take. Apple's end is getting hammered hard. At about 6:30 am, it was peaking at about 1.2 MBs. Now it's limping along at about 200 KBs, one sixth the earlier speed. And once that's done, I'll have to do the same thing for my iMac.

You don't get the 4GB from Apple anyway (necessarily) ... Apple rents server capacity all over the world to help out with this stuff... you won't necessarily connect to a server in Cupertino (or North Carolina) for the actual file download.

From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, "Look at that!" -...

What planet is Cupertino on? Many of those who don't have broadband, probably also live quite a few miles away from any Apple store. They'll have to pack that 24" iMac into the family car, drive some two hours or more on a day they're rather be doing something else, do the download, and then drive back. All for the lack of a DVD version that'd cost perhaps 25 cents to stamp out.

This policy is a classic illustration of a corporate-executive-level screw up. A few at the very top of Apple got the hots for the this dumber-than-dumb idea, and no normal Apple staffer could bring them back to reality.

I'm downloading Lion to my MacBook right now. It's been going for about 45 minutes on my fairly fast cable broadband connection, and I don't have any idea how much longer it will take. Apple's end is getting hammered hard. At about 6:30 am, it was peaking at about 1.2 MBs. Now it's limping along at about 200 KBs, one sixth the earlier speed. And once that's done, I'll have to do the same thing for my iMac.

Dumb. Really, really dumb.

As dumb and uneconomical as you might think, it accomplishes several things.
1) Moving into the true digital age, elimination of optical drives and cd/dvd media, saving them more $ in the long run, and continuing to charge you more for less (I think MBA actually charges you for air)
2) Maybe test out iCloud-like requirements on bandwidth and performance
3) Increase the perceived time it takes for any software Apple makes to get into your hands
4) Convinces people to upgrade internet packages so they can deliver more content this way
5) Eventually reduces the need for Brick Stores because you're connected fast anyways and YOU put up the cost for that, not Apple, saving them even more money, leading them to world domination. Oh wait, they already have that.

Pause it, go have a coffee, and try again later; it'll be there tomorrow. Personally, OS upgrades by MAS means I don't have to fight a bunch of people at the Apple Store to buy a disc I won't care about after today. I suspect many here feel the same way.

AppleInsider was first to report in May that Apple planned to release Lion through the Mac App Store, but also that Apple would offer a physical copy of the operating system for those who would prefer to have one. And in June, an exclusive report suggested lower pricing for Lion could be tied to purchasing through the Mac App Store.

gouging is gouging...a4GB thumbdrive is like $5 at Frys, so I assume Apple could buy a container of them for like a quarter or something...

those who cant afford broadband will be most impacted by this, as well as those folks in areas that are under served...this is a tax on those who live in bad broadband areas, shame on those users for not moving to a part of the country with a faster pipe to get the new toys.

You can't quantify how much I don't care -- Bob Kevoian of the Bob and Tom Show.

gouging is gouging...a4GB thumbdrive is like $5 at Frys, so I assume Apple could buy a container of them for like a quarter or something...

You really think these drives have the same type of hardware that man-on-the-street drives do, don't you?

Quote:

those who cant afford broadband will be most impacted by this, as well as those folks in areas that are under served...this is a tax on those who live in bad broadband areas, shame on those users for not moving to a part of the country with a faster pipe to get the new toys.

gouging is gouging...a4GB thumbdrive is like $5 at Frys, so I assume Apple could buy a container of them for like a quarter or something...

Or you could look at from Apple's PoV. Just assume the cost of the Flash drive, loading packaging and shipping is $5. That means the cost of of the Lion is $64, which means they are charging $35 for the inconvenience of having to spend money on flash drives, loading, packing and shipping in the first place.

Dick Applebaum on whether the iPad is a personal computer: "BTW, I am posting this from my iPad pc while sitting on the throne... personal enough for you?"